us hides Himself from His
people in order to try their faith, and elicit their confidence. He puts
us in perplexing paths--"allures" and "brings into the wilderness,"
only, however, that we may see more of Himself, and that He may "speak
comfortably unto us." He lets our need attain its extremity, that His
intervention may appear the more signal. He suffers apparently even His
own promises to fail, that He may test the faith of His waiting
people;--tutor them to "hope against hope," and to find, in _unanswered_
prayers and baffled expectations, only a fresh reason for clinging to
His all-powerful arm, and frequenting His mercy-seat. He dashes first
to the ground our human confidences and refuges, shewing how utterly
"vain is the help of man;" so that faith, with her own folded, dove-like
wings, may repose in quiet confidence in His faithfulness, saying, "In
the Lord put I my trust: why say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your
mountain?"

Reader! It would be well for you to hear this gentle chiding of Christ,
too, in the moment of your _spiritual_ depression;--when complaining of
your corruptions, the weakness of your graces, your low attainments in
holiness, the strength of your temptations, and your inability to resist
sin. "_Said I not unto thee_," interposes this voice of mingled reproof
and love, "My grace is sufficient for thee?" "The bruised reed I will
not break, the smoking flax I will not quench." "Look unto _Me_, and be
ye saved, all the ends of the earth." We are too apt to look to
_ourselves_, to turn our contemplation _inwards_, instead of keeping the
eye of faith centered undeviatingly on a faithful covenant-keeping God,
laying our finger on every promise of His Word, and making the challenge
regarding each, "Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he
spoken, and shall he not bring it to pass?"

Yes; there may be much to try and perplex. Sense and sight may stagger,
and stumble, and fall; we may be able to see no break in the clouds;
"deep may be calling to deep," and wave responding to wave, "yet the
Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night
his song shall be with me." If we only "_believe_" in spite of unbelief;
hoping on, and praying on, and trusting on; like the great Father of the
faithful, in the midst of adverse providences, "strong in faith, giving
glory to God," He will yet cause the day-spring from on high to visit
us. Even in _this_ world perplexing paths may